01 Feb 2007
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Advanced Technology Centre
New ideas and technologies can help reduce the environmental impact of our products.
Our Advanced Technology Centre is developing Micro Electromechanical Machines (MEMS) with the potential to halve aircraft fuel consumption. Tiny air pumps, smaller than a pinhead, squirt jets of air that change the airflow close to a wing's surface.
When applied at just the right location, these devices form a 'smart skin' around the wing, which reduces aerodynamic drag, potentially by up to 80%. This would enable huge fuel savings and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. BAE Systems is working with a number of European partners to develop the technology.
